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The War for Sanctatum
Summary "I will burn this system. Let the Revenants stand before me, and I will burn them too. Let the whelp of an Inquisitor gather armies of Astartes and Guard, they will be crushed under my boot. Know that Chaos and the Daemonkind are invincible, and despair!" -Halor the Warp Stalker. "We will fight. We will keep fighting, until our arms give out, our hearts stop, our legs shatter and splinter, and then we will fight yet more. Never will the foul forces of Chaos find any purchase on this, the Emperor's soil - our soil! Let that be our solemn pledge - to fight until victory or utter ruin!" -Captain Dimitrios Argyus of the Restorers. The war for the Sanctatum system was one of the more recent large conflicts of the age, drawing forces from no less than four regiments of Imperial Guard and elements from twelve companies of Space Marines from six Chapters, not including the additional presence of unknown numbers of Emperor's Spectres, including Kar Jonus. The war was against the Forces of the Demon Prince Halor the Warp Stalker, formerly the traitor Sorcerer Hal Orion, an enemy the Revenants thought long banished at the Battle of Zion, thus making the conflict personal for them. Essential Information Location: Sanctatum sector. Combatants: Imperium, forces of Chaos. Imperial Forces: The Inquisition, notably Inquisitor Jax Tiro, the Revenants (Second and Fourth Companies), the Emperor's Firebrands (Third and Fourth Companies), the Forge (Second and Fifth Companies), the Restorers (Fourth Company with elements of First), the Sanguine Paladins (Second Company), the Brotherhood of Peace (Chapter Master, Second and Third Companies with elements of First), 85th Legion of Tears, 122nd Cadian, 145th Valhallan, 704th Death Korp of Krieg, Sancta Majoria PDF, Sancta Sepulcrus Charnel Guard, Sancta Fabrica PDF, Skitarii, the Emperor's Spectres (confirmed sighting). Chaos Forces: Halor the Warp Stalker, Halor's Warband, approx. Six Million cultists, approx. Eight Million Plague Zombies, Death Guard Traitor Marines, Night Lords Traitor Marines, Shadows of Midnight Traitor Marines, Traitor PDF (approx. fifteen regiments), Night Lords Traitor Marines (unconfirmed), Stone Giants Traitor Marines (unconfirmed). Imperial Casualties: Large numbers of KIA including: Inquisitor Lord Hyram Locke, 71 Revenants, 62 Emperor's Firebrands, 85 Forge, 69 Restorers, 78 Sanguine Paladins, 82 Brotherhood of Peace, approx. 50% of the 85th Legion of Tears, approx. 40% of the Valhallan 145th, approx. 66% of the 704th Death Korp of Krieg, approx. 85% of the Sancta Majoria PDF (including traitors), approx 75% of the Sancta Sepulcrus Charnel Guard, approx 65% of the Sancta Fabrica PDF, approx 45% of the Skitarii, unknown Emperor's Spectres including Kar Jonus. Chaos Casualties: Halor banished to warp, Halor's Warband decimated and forced into retreat, all cultists eradicated, all Plague Zombies eradicated, Death Guard, Night Lords and Shadows of Midnight Traitor Marines forced into retreat, Stone Giants Traitor Marines eradicated, Traitor PDF eradicated. Result: Imperial Victory. The Stage The Sanctatum Sector is unusual in that it has more than one inhabitable planet: the capital world Sancta Majoria, home of the sector governor and other important officials, it's moon Sancta Sepulcrus, a grave world and Ecclesiarchal base, and the icy Forge World Sancta Fabrica located further out of system. The system holds no particular strategic significance beyond the Forge World Fabrica, and as such has been relatively untroubled in recent centuries. Sancta Majoria Sancta Majoria is a Hive World with approximately eighty billion inhabitants. It's chief Hive, Sancta Majoria Magnifica, is a towering edifice that stretches towards the heavens, and houses Magnifica Plaza, the central core of the Hive structure, from which the entire system is run, stretching from the base of the Hive to the tip, where the Governor sits. This Hive is populated by only a few million: a small number compared to the more mundane Hives that dot the rest of the planet. Across the planet are eighty more Hives, each containing a little under a billion inhabitants each. Each of these is designed to mimic Magnifica's structure - as a kind of homage to the supposed greatness of the bigger city - but none of them are anywhere near as luxurious. It is these Hives, where the poorest live in squalor, that Chaos, as ever, found most purchase. The Hives - including Magnifica - are mostly sealed from the outside surface of Majoria, which is (due to a comparative nearness to Sanctatum's star) mostly desert, with some humid forest near the poles. These Hives are connected by a shuttle transport system (mainly used for cargo and the rich) and a series of rail networks (the main transportation between Hives for the general populace). During the invasion, both of these transportation methods would be cut off by the rebel PDF and cultists, leaving individual Hives vulnerable to their attacks and cutting support for the loyalist PDF forces. Sancta Sepulcrus Sancta Sepulcrus is an Imperial Grave World as well as being the home of the chief Ecclesiarchy representatives in the sector, including the High Cardinal of Sanctatum. It is the resting site of over 2 billion deceased Imperial servants at any one time, as well as the home of the Charnel Guard and the million or so civilians tasked with burying the dead there. There is only one real city, Sancta Sepulcrus Pax Reposé, where the Ecclesiarchal Palace resides. This city has an outer layer, protected by a fortified wall, which houses the majority of the city's population, and an inner layer, guarded by a second, yet more fortified wall. This contains the Ecclesiarchal buildings and administrative offices. At the centre of these is the Ecclesiarchal palace, where the chief Cardinal of the sector resides. The entire planet is guarded by the Charnel Guard, a special branch of PDF appointed to guard the Ecclesiarchs and the graves on Sepulcrus. Sancta Fabrica Sancta Fabrica is a highly productive Forge World chiefly run by the Adeptus Mechanicus and defended by their Skitarii. In addition, the planet maintains a large number of PDF regiments, in case of an attack that the Skitarii cannot repel. Sancta Fabrica's chief manufacturing is of the Lasgun, but specialised factories, such as Sancta Fabrica Superator, also produce rarer weapons and ammunition, making the planet especially important to the Imperium. The planet has a large population of workers available - many of whom turned to Chaos as a way of escaping the drudgery of their lives under the Mechanicum's law. The Imperial Defenders "Here we make our stand! The enemy wants this sector, to burn, to pillage, to corrupt and to destroy - and I say, let him try to take it! He will find nothing but las-fire, bolter rounds and cold hard steel waiting for him! We are warriors of the Imperium and we shall not give an inch, save over our cold corpses!" -Inquisitor Tiro to the gathered Imperial forces at Sancta Majoria. The Inquisition "There will be vengeance for Locke, and vengeance for the Imperium both." -Jax Tiro. Inquisitor Hyram Locke and his chief acolyte Jax Tiro were present on Sancta Sepulcrus investigating rumours of a spread of the Zombie Plague prior to the true beginning of the invasion proper, when they encountered the Daemon Prince Halor, who subsequently killed the Inquisitor to prevent him becoming a threat. He did not actively pursue Interrogator Tiro, not believing him to be of any consequence. This would prove to be a mistake, as it would be Tiro - now elevated to full Inquisitor by the death of his master - who gathered the forces to defend Sanctatum. The young Inquisitor was crucial in acquiring further aid to support the beleaguered system, single-handedly summoning the entire Space Marine contingent as well as most of the Imperial Guard. When the campaign began in earnest, Tiro situated himself and his retinue in the capital of Sancta Majoria, at the summit of Magnifica mower itself. Here, he assisted in overseeing the battle and making certain that all forces were co-ordinated properly. At the close of the campaign, he was among those who fought the Daemon Halor at the close of the campaign, and it was a shot from his Psycannon that helped to stop the beast. The Revenants "We thought we had killed Hal Orion, but you tell me he has returned as a Daemon. We don't leave our work half finished." -Aldus Flynn, before pledging his men to Tiro's defence forces. Jax Tiro personally came to Peace to summon the Reenants aid, as Peace was close enough to Sanctatum to make the Revenants likely allies. Upon hearing the name Halor, Chief Librarian Pollus spoke to Aldus Flynn, confirming that the Daemon Prince was actually Hal Orion, an enemy the Chapter had defeated near the beginning of their career. Flynn could not bear the thought that one of the greatest enemies the Chapter had ever known might well still be alive, and worse that the noble Librarian Kryptus, one of their greatest heroes, had failed to end the threat of Halor those many years ago. Seeing the destruction of the Daemon and the stopping of his invasion as a matter of personal honour for the Revenants - something that, in their own way, they take as seriously as any other Chapter - he ordered his forces to assemble. The Second Company under Antonio Janus and the Fourth Company under Jared Severus were both available, and Flynn chose to send both of them, feeling that doing so was a matter of gravest importance, as well as feeling that two Companies might be a more appropriate response to the situation than only one. Both Companies were fresh from battle, but Flynn saw to it that both were reinforced with additional Marines and sent with the Battle-Barge Emperor's Might, the oldest and greatest barge available to the Chapter, to Sanctatum. One sign of how seriously the Chapter Master took the situation was that he gifted both Captains with one sacred combat-relic each - to Janus, he gifted the Sword, an ancient blade the Chapter believes is descended from their first Chapter Master. It was the second time Janus had been gifted with the use of this ancient two-handed blade, as he had also wielded it on Armageddon. To Severus, he gifted Kryptus' pistol - an unusual honour, as the weapon was usually wielded only by the Chief Librarian. Nonetheless, Pollux said that it would be needed by the Captain to help defeat the beast, and Flynn trusted Pollux's judgement in the matter. The pistol was a master-crafted weapon, and rumoured to be imbued with a little of Librarian Kryptus' power, causing it to never overheat. That both these ancient relics were being sent out to war was a sign of desperation and also determination on the part of Flynn, who was determined that this time, Halor would to escape the retribution of the Revenants. The chief role of the Revenants during the fighting was defending Sancta Majoria, where the two companies took heavy casualties fighting cultists and Traitor Marines. Most importantly, both Janus and Severus fought against Halor himself in the final battle, using the sacred relics of their Chapter against him during the final battle. It is fitting that these relics helped defeat the Daemon. The Stranger of Orbis "Brothers! Stand together! We are the sons of Peace, and though others deride us, we know no fear!" -The Stranger rallies some Revenants Marines during the fighting for Sancta Majoria Magnifica. It seems that wherever the Marines of the Revenants are in most need, wherever they fight a foe that they must defeat, the mysterious Space Marine who has fought alongside them and aided them since Orbis will follow them, lending them aid. On Sancta Majoria he made his presence known fighting alongside the forces of the Revenants in the Magnifica Plaza during the final hours of the war. In those ruined courtyards, which became killing fields of bolter-fire, he fought alongside his brothers, lending hope in that desperate moment. Finally, he too stood alongside the heroes who fought against Halor, and though he was again apparently slain (though no body was recovered), his heroism inspired the entire Revenants contingent a thousand times over, and without him the other warriors fighting the Daemon might have fallen. The Brotherhood of Peace "We owe you a debt. Nay, do not start, Brother. Without you the detritus of the Stone Giants might never have found purpose again, and for that, we will always stand at your command." -Cyric, offering himself and two Companies to Captain Janus' command. Cyric, the Chapter Master of the Brotherhood of Peace, led the Chapter's contingent personally, commanding them to follow where the Revenants led. The heroic brothers of the redeemed Chapter fought alongside their honour-brothers of the Revenants, and the Chapter Master leant undoubtedly the greatest support for the war of any of the Space Marines present, personally leading charges against Traitor Marines and Daemons a dozen times over, as well as lending hard-won tactical advice in the heat of battle. His brothers meanwhile were honoured and elated to fight alongside Revenants in war, and the desire to make their spiritual liege's proud drove many a Brotherhood member to acts of heroism and bravery that even Astartes would take pause at. Though battered, bloody and bruised, the surviving Brotherhood members still held the line during the final moments, though Cyric himself could not aid the warriors battling the Daemon Prince in the final moments as he was leading the defence of the upper plaza above them. The Restorers "What better glory could there be than holding off a Chaos horde? We shall hold the line, and let none dare challenge us!" -Captain Dimitrios Argyus. Upon receiving astropathic communication regarding the invasion, the Restorers sent one company - their Fourth - as well as several Terminator armoured veterans to the aid of Sanctatum. They claimed they could spare no more for the task, which - as many of their Companies were engaged in holding off other invasions elsewhere - was understandable, although some believed that they had sent only one Company because of the Revenants' presence. Unlike many other Chapters, the Restorers chose to hold the line of the refugee-filled city of Sancta Sepulcrus Pax Reposé, the chief city of Sancta Sepulcrus. They chose to do this because Dimitrios Argyus, the Captain in command of their forces, refused to stand with "craven Revenants" and "cowardly Paladins" on Majoria. Since the Revenants and their allies had brought more troops, the Restorers held the less tactically vital location. Captain Argyus was not displeased, as he saw this as a chance to lead a glorious defence against the Zombie horde that threatened to overrun the city - not only would they be little threat to an Astartes force, he thought, but there would be so many that legends would rise of how greatly they had defended the city. As it turned out, this was not the case. Though the Zombies could not infect the Astartes, they could still kill them, and many Restorers fell to the Zombies, dragged under by the hordes as they fought. Worse, the Zombie horde grew as theCharnel Guard defenders fell, forcing the Restorers to turn their bolsters on infected Guardsmen who had been holding the line. Nonetheless, despite losing ground to the horde and nearly being wiped out, the few remaining Restorers managed to hold the single entrance to the civilian shelter until reinforcement - and the final, utter destruction of the Zombie Horde - came. The Forge "It is in battle that we are tested, and this will be the greatest test I have yet to see." -Knight-Captain Linus of the Forge Second Company. The Forge sent two Companies to assist the defences of Sanctatum. They focused the vast majority of their deployment around strategically vital points on Sancta Fabrica, reasoning that these vital factories must not fall to the Chaos horde. There, they made their stand when the Traitor Marines, Guard and Cultists landed in force. The Emperor's Firebrands "We honour our brothers of the Forge, and will hold the line with them until the death." Captain Akron of the Emperor's Firebrands Third Company. The Emperor's Firebrands sent their Third and Fourth Companies to aid the defence of Sanctatum. As per Daun Soloman's orders, they fulfilled their honour debt with the warriors of the Forge, joining them in defending the Forge World from Chaos forces during the war. The Sanguine Paladins "We will defend the people of the Imperium until death or victory." -Captain Icarus of the Sanguine Paladins. The Sanguine Paladins sent their Second Company to assist the defence of Sanctatum. Their forces, like the Revenants, were largely focused on Majoria, though they held positions in many key locations and insisted on evacuating as many of the civilian population as they could, losing many brothers as they did so. The 122nd Cadian "Massive Chaos invasion? Forgive me for being blazé milord, but that's just another day on the job for us." -Colonel Saffron, 122nd Cadian. The 122nd Cadian regiment was redirected to Sanctatum after returning to Cadi from another mission. Once there, they were set up in the centre of Sancta Majoria, where their experience fighting in cities, hard gleaned from Khai Zann, would be out to good use. The 85th Legion of Tears "For Peace we fight, and though it brings us no joy, it shall bring us comfort - every victory is a step closer to true peace." -Colonel Ulison, 85th Legion of Tears. The 85th Legion of Tears accompanied the Revenants to Sanctatum when they departed Peace, at the request of Captain Janus, who knew that the battle would test them all. During the conflict, the majority of the85th helped hold Sancta Majoria Magnifica, but some companies were dispatched to other Hives to assist PDF defenders there. The 145th Valhallan "Stand firm and fight to the last man, you dogs, or I swear I'll shoot you my Emperor-damn self!" -Colonel Valtane, 145th Valhallan. Under Colonel Gregory Valtane, the 145th Valhallan arrived at Sanctatum and immediately settled into a holding position on Sancta Fabrica. The planet being further out makes it much colder than Majoria, and thus it was perfect for the Ice-Worlders of Valhalla to defend. The 704th Death Korp of Krieg "We fight and we die, that's the Krieg way, but if we can make the enemy die first, that'll be a bonus." -Attributed to a Krieg officer. Without so much as waiting for approval, the Death Korp of Krieg's 704th sent half it's twenty companies to Sancta Fabrica to hold the most important strategic points and the remaining ten companies to try and help hold the smaller settlements on Sancta Sepulcrus, despite the Zombie plague, thus once more proving that Krieg soldiers pick the most dangerous assignments as par for the course. In-system Defence Forces "I have ten million guns, of which I can trust maybe half that not to shoot their own feet off and the other half to shoot the loyalists first. It's gonna be a long war..." -General Wallace, Commander of Majoria PDF. There were ten regiments of PDF on Sancta Fabrica, three Charnel Guard regiments on Sepulcrus, and another twenty regiments of PDF on Majoria. Of these, the Charnel Guard remained completely loyal but susceptible to the Zombie Pague that swept the world, and fully half the remaining PDF forces turned traitor. This was no problem for the Skitarii on Fabrica however, who remained steadfastly loyal to their Adeptus Mechanicus masters. The Emperor's Spectres "We are hope for the galaxy." -Kar Jonus. The mysterious Emperor's Spectres too, joined the battle to defend Sanctatum, appearing on Majoria and Fabrica to aid their fellow Space Marines during the height of the fighting. This was some of the fiercest fighting this Chaoter has ever been reported in, and yet still their forces managed to leave without leaving any trace of themselves behind once the battle was over - though this might have been more to do with how much had been destroyed, and less to do with their diligence. The Chaos Attackers "Let them have their faith, their struggle, their heroism. Numbers and brute force will overcome all. Let them have songs and legends. I will have victory." -Halor. Halor the Warp Stalker's Warband "We fight for Halor and Tzeentch!" -Warband war-cry. Halor the Warp Stalker had planned the assault on Sanctatum for many years. It was both a relatively major Imperial World and a relatively unnoticed one when placed in the grander scheme of things, making it an ideal target. Although Halor's plan had been to have the bulk of the invasion underway before Imperial reinforcements arrived, he quickly adapted to the arrival of several Space Marine and Imperial Guard contingents, as his plan had always included them possibly arriving in time to make a difference. Halor's core Warband consisted largely of his trusted cadre of Rubric Marines and a sizable horde of lesser Chaos Space Marines. This Warband was his right hand, his iron fist, which he intended to withhold until he himself took to the field. As such, they accompanied him when he finally assailed the Imperial command post at Sancta Majoria Magnifica. Chaos Stone Giants "For Adirio's memory and Chaos' glory!" -Morderik, leader of the Renegade Fifteen. It is often wondered what happened to the thirty or so Renegade Stone Giants who abandoned both Caedmon and Camlin: the War for Sanctatum answered that query about fifteen such men, as the Renegades showed up as an elite squad in Halor's service, led by former Sergeant Morderik. These Marines were debased, true Renegades who stood as a mockery of all the Stone Giants Chapter had ever stood for, and Cyric of the Brotherhood of Peace swore to slay them all. Traitor Marines "It will be good to slay loyalist dogs again." -Unidentified Night Lord. Amongst the many forces Halor had managed to assemble to assail the Imperium, he amassed a contingent of Death Guard Traitor Marines to assist with spreading the Zombie Plague, mainly on Sancta Sepulcrus. In addition, a force of Night Lords was present at Sancta Fabrica, and many unidentified smaller war bands and traitor Chapters were present as well, making the Traitor Marine contingent quite impressive in number. The Shadows of Midnight "Kill everything, in the Darkness' name." -The Nox. The Shadows of Midnight were among the Chaos forces Halor managed to gather to his cause. They were present with him on Sancta Sepulcrus when he murdered Hyram Locke, although they never identified as part of his personal Warband. During the war, they fought on Sancta Majoria, chiefly slaughtering civilians. This brought them into conflict mainly with the Sanguine Paladins. Traitor Guard "For the Dark Gods - tear down and kill!" -Unidentified traitor guardsman. Many regiments of traitor Guard were present at Sanctatum on both Majoria and Fabrica, lending professional, experienced support to the many cultists and PDF Insurrectionists that the traitors sorely needed. Cultist Forces "Freedom from the tyrannical Imperium!" -Common cultist war-cry, most likely instigated by Halor. Halor's plan for the invasion had always been a long term one - he sowed the seeds of rebellion in the hearts of the people of Majoria, Fabrica and Sepulcrus, and those seeds grew into many cultist bands. Mostly these were good for sheer bulk rather than skill, but to Halor both things were valuable and the cultists were in many ways crucial to his plans. Daemons "Give us sacrifices, and we will kill all the enemies you could want!" -Unidentified Daemon. The cultists managed to summon many lesser Daemons in the initial stages of the war, and these managed to keep the Imperium - at least initially - on the back foot. Later, the cultists were aided by more experienced summonses, who brought Greater Daemons forth to the material realm. These were severely problematic for Imperial Forces on both Majoria and Fabrica. PDF Insurrectionists "Rise up and cast the slaves of the False Emperor down!" -PDF Insurrectionist poster. Among the PDF the seeds planted by Halor grew into a growing Insurrectionist movement, which was underground, passed on in secret pamphlets speaking of "the true Gods" and in secretive meetings. In this way, fully half the PDF's of both Majoria and Fabrica were turned. When open revolt began, the traitors turned on their commanders, lending vital firepower - if not experience - to the very earliest battles the traitors fought. Plague Zombies "uuuuhhhhh..." -Unidentified Plague Zombie. Unlike the metaphorical seeds planted on Majoria and Fabrica, the seeds Halor planted on Santa Sepulcrus were entirely literal - seeds of the Zombie Plague. Within days of this, the dead began rising, and soon millions of Zombies - both the risen dead and those infected by them - were marching forth to consume the flesh of the living. In this way, Halor hoped to sow seeds of chaos and anarchy for the Imperial forces and tie up important troops fighting mindless husks, and the Zombie horde did indeed manage to hold up the entire Restorers contingent. =The War.= "It is in the crucible of combat that even the most unwilling heart finds the measure of it's true courage." -Antonio Janus, Revenants Second Company Captain. Early Warning For three years before the war itself, Halor had agents spreading the creed of Chaos amongst certain quarters of the populous. Although not everyone was convinced by the agitators, many were, and that number grew until it numbered in the millions, and had infiltrated the PDF, taking over no less than half of it on both Majoria and Fabrica. Meanwhile, Halor's forces also planted the Zombie Plague on Sepulcrus. Initial warnings were felt with the first rumours of the Zombie plague some days later, though at first they were small. Inquisitor Lord Hyram Locke and his acolyte Interrogator Jax Tiro arrived to investigate these rumours, and in the process encountered Halor himself, who killed the Inquisitor Lord. Realising that a full scale invasion must be underway, Tiro left the Sanctatum system as quickly as he could, seeking support for the soon-to-be-beleaguered sector. The First Days Cultist Rebellion Shortly after this, the seeds Halor planted bore fruit. On both Majoria and Fabrica, a massive cultist rebellion was launched, including summoned Daemons, that overwhelmed the paltry initial PDF responses. It wasn't helped by the fact that the PDF itself had been infiltrated, half of the defence forces going over to the rebels' side. Nonetheless, in the first ten days of conflict, the PDF just managed to hold out, sending calls out into the Immaterium from their astropaths begging for assistance. The Dead Rise Meanwhile, on Sepulcrus, the rising dead became a horde that quickly swept away many cities, leaving only the capital, Sancta Sepulcrus Pax Reposé, intact. There, the Charnel Guard held their ground against the horde and welcomed any uninflected survivors who managed to get to the city, but they knew they could not hold out forever. Desperate for aid, the Charnel Guard, led by the Ecclesiarchs, prayed to the Emperor for help, though they were almost certain that said help would never arrive. Chaos Fleet Ten days into the conflict, the worst fears of the Imperial Forces were realised - a Chaos fleet was detected by the astropaths (the ones whose heads didn't explode, anyway) on a direct course for Sanctatum. Grimly, General Wallace of the Majoria PDF prepared to order his men to sell their lives dearly, for he knew that this sign was one that would doom them all. However, much to the surprise and joy of all the in-system defenders, the first forces on the scene were not Chaos, but rather a fleet transporting hundreds of Space Marines and many thousands of Imperial Guard. Reinforcements, summoned by Inquisitor Tiro, had arrived! Imperial Muster The Meeting of Commanders Tiro quickly organised the Commanders of various Chapter groups and Regiments for a meeting. Due to various strained relations, there were many heated words exchanged - especially between the Restorers and the Revenants and Sanguine Paladins, since both the latter Chapters still had grievances with the Restorers and the Restorers had no respect for them or their tactics, men or service history, as they made amply plain. This of course angered Cyric of the Brotherhood of Peace, who threatened to duel Captain Argyus then and there. Argyus responded by calling him a traitor who escaped the noose. It looked as though the various Imperial Space Marines present might decide to kill one another before the enemy got a chance to, but Tiro managed to calm things down thanks to a shout - and a bolt pistol shot - from Bran, his Space Marine bodyguard. Taking advantage of the silence, Tiro spoke to the assembled group and quickly outlined a plan that he hoped they would be able to agree upon. The Defence Plan The Death Korp and Valhallans were sent to Sancta Fabrica, where they would hold the key Forge World facilities to the Death, ably supported by the Emperor's Firebrands and the Forge. The Legion of Tears, Revenants, Sanguine Paladins and Brotherhood of Peace would hold Majoria, which had to stand. The Restorers volunteered to go to Sepulcrus and defend the last city there, reasoning it would be the best place to win glory (and avoid hated enemies among the other Marine Chapters) and Tiro agreed. A plan in motion, the Imperial forces set about deploying. Invasion No sooner had the forces of the Imperium finished deploying their forces - and assisting the forces of the PDF - than the Chaos fleet arrived in system. They were more numerous and deadly than Tiro had feared, consisting of many Traitor Marines and Guard. Grimly, the Imperial forces dug in, preparing for a long, hard fight. War for the Hives The Chaos forces landed hundreds of thousands of Traitor Guardsmen on Sancta Majoria, but the noble Space Marines of the Revenants, Brotherhood of Peace and Sanguine Paladins were there to meet them alongside the 85th Legion of Tears. The majority of the fighting was centred around Magnifica, where the enemy tried to fight their way inside the Magnifica plaza tower. Fortunately, the Brotherhood of Peace, ever intractable, held the line, their leader Cyric standing at the front of his men, ever driving them on to new heights of heroism. Lights in the Darkness While the Revenants and Brotherhood of Peace held the Magnifica, the Sanguine Paladins began the laborious task of evacuating Imperial citizenry to safer quarters. This task was made more difficult by Daemons summoned by cultists, mainly Khornate Bloodletters that slew many Sanguine Paladins, undetected, the Paladins fought back, often sacrificing many brothers for one pure-hearted family of Imperial citizenry, truly earning their plaudits as loyal servants of the people of the Imperium. Unfortunately, the presence of the Shadows of Midnight Traitor Warband made their task even more perilous, and bitter firefights erupted, claiming many lives. Eventually, the Paladins' losses grew so great that they were no longer able to evacuate citizens. Grimly, Captain Icarus ordered his few remaining warriors to pick a defensible building, bring the citizens they could there, and hold it to the last man. They chose what had been an Arbites precinct, though all but a scant handful of the Arbites were dead. Each of them prepared to sell their lives dearly to defend the citizens. That, however, would not be necessary. At the moment when all seemed lost, many warriors of the Emperor's Spectres descended via drop pod and Thunderhawk, lending support to the noble warriors. Though the Paladins did not entirely trust these mysterious warriors, they chose to fight alongside them, holding back the Daemon hordes and evacuating the many hundreds of civilians they had saved. This done, the Paladins and Spectres abandoned the outer Hives for Magnifica, where the civilians were deposited in the upper levels of the Magnifica Plaza, which would hold until the traitors broke in and slew everyone, by which point every Marine would have to have been killed. The Dead Horde On Sepulcrus, Caltain Dimitrios Argyus quickly took command of Pax Reposé's defences, setting his men along the main wall of the city to aid in the defence. The Charnel Guard who remained were most grateful for their assistance, as we're the Death Korp companies who had retreated to the city from the outer settlements, uninfected civilians in tow. When the horde began it's assault on the walls, the Space Marine Captain felt confident his men could turn them aside. However, Argyus had severely underestimated the strength of the Zombie horde, and a number of his men fell under sheer weight of numbers as the attacks progressed. Worse, there were Death Guard Traitor Marines present assisting the Zombies, somehow ignored by the mindless things, that were a truly dangerous threat to the Astartes. Eventually, though he did not like the thought, Argyus admitted that the Restorers and their allies could not hold the wall. After three days of fighting, he ordered a withdrawal from the primary wall to the inner wall, leaving the rubble strewn streets of the outer wall and city for the Zombies and traitors to negotiate. Many of the remaining Death Korp volunteered to hold the outer city for as long as they could, sacrificing their lives dearly to buy time for the Restorers and remaining Charnel Guard. Restore His Glory! "We are Restorers! What better way is there for us to die. If we must die, than fighting here, defending the people of the Imperium, is surely the greatest, most noble, most ''glorious way to die! In the Emperor's name, let us slaughter them when they come, sell our lives dearly, and live forever in song! Restore His Glory!"'' -Argyus to his men. Once his men had taken position on the inner wall, Argyus ordered the Charnel Guard to evacuate the civilians somewhere the Zombies could only enter through Space Marine corpses. The charnel Guard locked the civilians in the chief Ecclesiarchal vault, where the thousands of survivors, though cramped, were still safe. The Charnel Guard remained with them, determined to keep the people safe at all costs. Argyus rallied the remaining Restorers - numbering less than ninety all told - with calls to fight for glory and honour, knowing that if they failed, the people would all die horribly. Without fear, he and his men - and the remaining Death Korp, reduced to the equivalent of a single, rag tag company of Guardsmen - held the inner wall. It was a brutal struggle, and slowly, the Space Marines and Guardsmen were forced to pull back. Yet despite the millions of Zombies pouring into the city and their Death Guard allies, Argyus and his men held their ground, or made the enemy pay a blood price for every step, even as one by one they were dragged under hordes of undead or slain by traitors. For twenty five days the Space Marines held their ground, determined to hold off the Zombies. After nineteen days, they fought alone, the last Deth Korp units going dark in other parts of the city. It was then, as they fought on alone, that they knew they were almost certainly going to die, and each man accepted this. Finally however, just as Argyus and the remaining Restorers had retreated to the steps of the Ecclesiarchal Palace itself, they found themselves relieved by Emperor's Firebrands dropping in from the sky in drop pods. The war elsewhere had been one and the Firebrands had come to aid the Restorers in holding off the Zombie horde. Together, the two forces managed to drive the Zombies back and eradicate them. Fabrica holds On Fabrica, the Forge's warriors engaged in aggressive counterattacks to drive their foe back, but there were Night Lords traitors amongst the enemy, and the Forge could only do so much. Aided by the Emperor's Firebrands and the Imperial Guard, they managed to hold many key locations against the enemy's forces, but it was a close run thing. Forged in Fire During the battle for one particular manufactorum, Sancta Fabrica Superator - the Capital and manufacturing point for many less common and more vital weapons - Knight-Captain Linus, commander of Forge Marines on the field, was slain fighting the Night Lords, and his death left the Forge without their leader on the battlefield. In desperation, Knight Marcus - the equivalent of a Sergeant - took command and held his men together, fighting alongside many of the Firebrands and some Valhallan units in desperate holding actions. Eventually, the Forge and the Firebrands - the few Valhallans who had been with them having been slain - found themselves besieged within the great manufactorums, Night Lords and Cultists at the gates desperately trying to get in. Knight Marcus, field-promoted by consent to Knight-Captain by his brothers, held the gates with his men, and led valiant sorties to disrupt enemy siege equipment. This was costly in men for the remaining Forge Marines, but they kept at it, knowing the disruption would buy them time. For the remaining twenty days of the campaign, he led his brothers in this hard-fought conflict. Eventually they were reinforced by Krieg Imperial Guard, and the enemy's assault was stymied. Halor Comes Forth For twenty six days, Halor watched his forces make little headway against Imperial forces, and what headway there was he found insufficient to his plans. Although he had the men for a protracted assault, he did not want one, for he knew that a protracted assault would draw more and stronger Imperial forces and he did not wish that. Therefore, he devised a radical plan: he would descend personally, slaughter the Revenants holding Majoria Magnifica, and destroy the plaza tower, symbolising defeat even if he could not win a resounding victory on every front. This would demoralise the Imperial forces throughout the system, and allow him to take his revenge against his most hated foe at the same time. Assault on Magnifica Halor's Warband descended and assaulted the front gate of the Magnifica Plaza, though they met fierce resistance from the Brotherhood of Peace there, especially once Cyric realised that the traitors had renegade Stone Giants amongst them. Nonetheless, the strength of the attack forced the Brotherhood to withdraw with heavy casualties, though Cyric's men made the traitors pay in blood for every step, and the Chapter Master personally dispatched all but two of the traitor Stone Giants himself, with those being killed by his guard. Inside the giant plaza, more a great park filled with trees, benches and rocks than the courtyard of an Administorum building, the Brotherhood - reinforced by Revenants - held the traitor Marines off, aided by the arrival of the Stranger of Orbis himself to lead their defence with blistering oratory and brave deeds. The entire plaza became a killing field, with Revenants and Traitors grappling and duelling, bolter-fire flying all around, and many hundreds dying as the fighting progressed. And yet, the traitors could not break the foothold the Space Marines held. For four days, the Space Marines held their ground, eventually receiving support from Emperor's Spectres fresh from the evacuation efforts with the Sanguine Paladins. The Final Duel Finally, after four days of brutal, bloody stalemate, Halor could take no more and came forth personally. Where the Daemon Prince walked, Space Marines were slain, though he was but in his fettered form. Hearing that the architect of the invasion had come forth, a desperate party consisting of Inquisitor Tiro, Captain's Severus and Janus of the Revenants, an unnamed Captain of the Emperor's Spectres, and Bran, Tiro's bodyguard, came forth to face him. In the centre of Magnifica Plaza, among dead trees, burnt benches, blood-filled pools and melted rocks, alone in the centre of the plaza while war raged around him, Halor faced these champions. Joining them was the Stranger, standing alongside his brothers - including, again, Jared Severus. "Here you die, Daemon filth!" -Inquisitor Tiro to Halor. "You know, I rather doubt that." -Halor to Inquisitor Tiro The duel was brutal. Tiro was batted aside by the Daemon Prince like a leaf, falling twenty feet away, where he struggled to get to his feet. Realising he could not aid the Space Marines in hand to hand, he drew a Psycannon he had been gifted with earlier by the Adeptus Mechanicus, and tried to line up a shot. The Stranger of Orbis fell next, paying for a gouge he took from the Daemon's armour. This time, the Daemon threw the warrior far further, using his foul warp-born strength to pitch the noble warrior more than two hundred feet both across and up, right through a giant stained glass window, where he presumably fell many feet. Nonetheless, the gouge did not heal, showing the remaining Space Marines that the Daemon could be hurt. Angered by the pinprick and realising he would need additional strength, the Daemon Prince laughed as he spoke his next words. "Do not take comfort yet, fools - this isn't even my final form!" -Halor, before transforming. Thus, Halor transformed into his second, unfettered form - a giant armoured figure, with a mighty sword easily the length of a Space Marine. Unwittingly though. Halor had just sounded the bell of his own defeat. With his first strike, he sent the Emperor's Spectre Captain flying, where he landed in a heap against a far wall. With his second strike, he removed the pistol-arm of Bran. However, this was all that Tiro needed to fire one shot from the blessed Psycannon - the shot pierced Halor in the Daemon's head, making him cry out in agony. Taking advantage of his distraction, Jared Severus shot the creature thrice more in the head with the Pistol, the sacred relic of his Chapter he bore, and Janus struck the creature in the heart with the Sword, the relic of the Revenants that he bore. Finally, when the Daemon Prince was on his knees, the wounded Bran stood, and using his single chainsword arm, beheaded the creature. Halor, the Daemon Prince that had brought a month and more of utter devastation to the Sanctatum sector, was banished to the warp. The Tide Turns With Halor's defeat, his remaining forces began a systematic, disarray end retreat, and were easy prey for the Imperial forces. With the main theatres clearing, the Forge and the Emperor's Firebrands were able to reinforce the beleaguered Restorers on Sepulcrus. The remaining traitor PDF and cultists were exterminated, and the rebuilding operation - overseen by Ecclesiarchs and watching Guard to be certain taint did not return - began. Aftermath The Daemon Prince returned to the warp, shamed but already planning his next incursion. He swore doubly to revenge himself on the Revenants, and began formulating a plan to invade their home world. Inquisitor Tiro came into possession of the only hard intelligence ever gathered on the Emperor's Spectres by means of a piece of testimony gathered from the dying Kar Jonus. This information he intends to make good use of if he can. The various Chapters returned to their home worlds, each bloodied but unbroken. The field promoted Knight-Captain Marcus' promotion was confirmed by Penultimate Leo, who praised his actions. Dimitrios Argyus too was praised, for Pyotr Jorus recognised that he had earned the Chapter much glory, even if it had been at a dreadful cost. The Revenants' Captains returned their holy relics to their Chapter's sacred reliquary, safe in the knowledge that the two great weapons had done their part against a great enemy of the Chapter, and Aldus Flynn commended them both for their deed.